On average, it'll cost you about $2000 to fly to Rome and then just shy of $1000 for you and a pal to eat at the World's Best Restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. When you add it all up, it's a lot cheaper to buy the thousand-dollar-a-head tickets to a special dinner that Francescana's famous head chef, Massimo Bottura, will be hosting with OzHarvest in April.
There are only 130 tickets available to this intimate dinner that will feature the combined kitchen prowess of local legends like Rob Cockerill (Bennelong), Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs and The Dolphin), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Matt Stone (Oakridge), James Viles (Biota), O Tama Carey, Aaron Ward (Sixpenny), Clayton Wells (Automata) and Duncan Welgemoed (Africola). This all-star cast will be cooking with rescued food and matching their dishes with Australian wines in the OzHarvest headquarters in Alexandria.
The warehouse will be transformed into a fine diner for the night; James Hird from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar will be your sommelier; there will be an art auction; and Bottura will be talking to guests about food waste and his international charitable food projects. In fact, if you haven't already go watch the first Chef's Table episode featuring Bottura, where he concocts a cheesy pasta recipe to save the parmesan industry of Emilia Romagna after an earthquake cracked the cheese wheels in storage.
Because the chefs, staff, beverages, produce and art have all been donated, all proceeds for the evening to go directly to OzHarvest and Food for Soul, Bottura's charity.
Yep, it's $1,000 per person to go, but you're basically eating at the world's best restaurant, plus the top Australian restaurants, without ever having to leave home or exchange a single Aussie dollar. Add to that the knowledge your money is going to a great set of causes, and it's a win for everyone.
Cooking with a Conscience, OzHarvest Alexandria, Sun Apr 2, 5.30-9.30pm, $1000. http://www.ozharvest.org/massimo